1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to: an image processing system in which an image forming apparatus such as a multifunctional digital machine also called as MFP (Multi Function Peripheral) and more than one image processing server are connected to each other via a network; an image processing method for the image processing system; an image processing server preferably employed in the image processing system; and a recording medium with an image processing program being stored thereon to make a computer execute processing.
2. Description of the Related Art
The following description sets forth the inventor's knowledge of related art and problems therein and should not be construed as an admission of knowledge in the prior art.
As well as such an image processing system mentioned above which is configured to make an image forming apparatus perform all image processing operations on image data inputted to the image forming apparatus, there has been a suggested image processing system which is configured to make multiple external image processing servers cooperatively perform their own and different image processing operations on image data inputted to an image forming apparatus (for example, Japanese Unexamined Patent Publications No. 2004-289500 and No. 2009-129340).
In such an image processing system which makes multiple image processing servers with specific functions cooperatively perform their specific operations individually, an image forming apparatus, whose resources are too limited to perform all image processing operations, does not have to employ a complex structure with the capability to perform all these functions, which is very advantageous.
And recently, there has been another suggested image processing system which provides image processing services of various service suppliers via the Web so that users can select their preferred ones among them and obtain their target image via the Web, just like SaaS (Software as a Service).
Also, there has been yet another suggested system which makes a MFP for example, at a convenience store or a print shop, to execute jobs like making a hard copy of a document, transmitting scanned data, and the like, and process cash or prepaid card transactions for the jobs.
For example, Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2002-330253 discloses a system for processing transactions for multiple processing services collectively. And Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2003-067832 discloses a system for estimating an amount of charge before performing an image forming service, when a mode is selected for the service. And also, Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2007-058462 discloses a system for estimating an amount of charge by an estimation server based on the mode or the like set on a MFP and downloading a right estimation program from the estimation server to the MFP.
In such an image processing system as mentioned above, multiple image processing servers may be in charge of image processing services similar to each other, and multiple image processing servers may be in charge of one of multiple image processing services. In this case, there are many possible configurations of image processing servers when a user would like a series of image processing services, and there is a need for a high-performance central server and image forming apparatus being capable of analyzing the information of all the image processing servers so that the user can find a perfect configuration of image processing servers among them all, which has been a problem to resolve.
On the top of that, there has been another problem to resolve in the process how to validate the selected configuration of image processing servers. It is very common for an image processing system to calculate a total cost for a series of image processing services, for example based on the charge information of all the image processing servers which is registered on a transaction processing system as described in Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2003-067832, by which users are allowed to select image processing services for as small amount of money as possible.
However, it is actually very difficult for users to select image processing services that meets their needs, that is, there sometimes are conflicts between the total cost calculated based on the charge information registered in advance and the actual total cost because an image processing service having been performed may be wrongly affected to another image processing service to be performed next.
The description herein of advantages and disadvantages of various features, embodiments, methods, and apparatus disclosed in other publications is in no way intended to limit the present invention. Indeed, certain features of the invention may be capable of overcoming certain disadvantages, while still retaining some or all of the features, embodiments, methods, and apparatus disclosed therein.